Jeffrey Zaslow has a cute piece in the Wall Street Journal about creating a more intentional soundtrack to his daily activities through his iPod. Like a good journalist, he asks some experts on the subject of soundtracks for advice and insight — a film director, a television series creator, a major studio executive.
The process struck me as a fascinating public conversation for any local music-based organization — symphony, presenter, radio station, whatever — with their communities. How would your artistic director curate the music of his/her life — getting the kids on the school bus, driving to work, sitting in a meeting, eating a sandwich, etc? And how would members of your audience score the same activities?
At the core of the question is how people weave music into their daily lives, or how they might if they added some intention to the process. Along the way, you’d be exploring music as identity, music as emotional support, music as escape, music as connected to the world, and the creative challenge of curating expressive works.
Not a bad conversation to have.
I have an ipod, and my life has literally changed since getting it. I use itunes at the studio daily and have specific playlists.
I have a specific playlist for Wednesday, the offical start of my public week, a playlist for Mondays, the official start of my painting week, a playlist for when im working late at night, one for when im tired and not happy, and one for when i have trouble sleeping. I love the flexibility of creating and editing the list.
I use them for exhibitions, for inspiration, even have a audiobook playlist that I play while doing the cleaning activities of the studio.
We created a playlist to play at my fathers funeral, one for getting through Rita where my family was smack in the center of. I can see a lifetime playlist or list of a lifetime, but wouldn’t it be a “so far” list, unless its a funeral compilation? I hate to imagine that the times that are of such quality they merit a song devoted to it are behind me. That could be a depressing state by itself.
Your recent post touched on some of the same questions I have been asking down here in Wellington, New Zealand. As a response, I’ve developed the “Opening Notes” project, which begins at the grass roots of our city’s musical identities and proceeds all the way up to a macro-level of culture. Instead of a soundtrack for an individual life, it hopes to be a kind of soundtrack for an incoming generation (5,000 babies each year). Opening Notes will present a new free compilation CD to every newborn beginning on Mother’s Day 2006. What is the sound of your culture? and your birthplace? Project summary follows…
Opening Notes
Music for Wellington’s Next Generation
This Community Arts initiative involves providing a specially-produced compilation CD of Wellington-based music free to every new baby (and parents) born at Wellington Hospital in 2006. The project was developed between 2002-2005, by Eric Holowacz, Arts Programmes and Services Manager for Wellington City Council. In the spring of 2005, Wellington’s Saatchi & Saatchi became sole sponsor, major partner, and a driving force behind the implementation of Opening Notes.
The musical tracks on the Opening Notes CD will be intentionally diverse, ranging from chamber quartet to Maori choir to solo jazz saxophone to ethnic ensembles to alternative rock and roll. Twenty songs have been compiled for the initial music CD.
Some contributors have furnished ready-made recordings, while other songs have been recorded and engineered for this special compilation. Material has been drawn from an eclectic group of Wellington’s musicians, ensembles, and instrumentalists—and all local musicians have been encouraged to participate.
Researching and planning the Opening Notes Project has involved SOUNZ the Centre for New Zealand Music, Wellington-based record labels, the Wellington International Jazz Festival, University programmes, and several local musicologists.
Once introduced, the CD will serve as a unique document for Wellington’s cultural community, and will be a special creative welcome to our newest residents. The Opening Notes CD will be updated each year to feature a new musical compilation. The project will become a running archive of the musical activity in our communities, cultures, and traditions.
From the onset, the project’s key objectives have been four-fold: to foster a wider appreciation of Wellington’s local music scene; to support and provide new exposure for local musicians; to re-affirm Wellington’s identity as a creative, musical city; and to foster a sense of local community and shared traditions among parents and families.
Wellington Hospital handles an estimated 4,500 births each year, and serves parents from all regions of the lower North Island. A partnership has been established with Margot Mains, Chief Executive Officer of Wellington Hospital/Capital Coast District Health Board, and Julia Payne, Clinical Director, Child Health Service, to facilitate the distribution of the “Opening Notes” CD’s. There are no commercial aspects to this project, and no income through sales or trade.
Project costs have been estimated at $25,000 per year based on an average production of 5,000 CD’s and lesser expenses (studio costs, publishing fees, design work, etc). Artists retain all rights, ownership, publishing and every other use of their music.
Besides Wellington Hospital Maternity Services, on-going partnerships also include Neonate Unit Charitable Trust; SOUNZ: the Centre for New Zealand Music; Parents Centre New Zealand; and the Composers Association of New Zealand.
Opening Notes is a community-wide initiative, involving the participation and contribution of hundreds of artists, organisations, and people. It is a gift. It is a document. It is Wellington’s way of celebrating music and the sounds of our culture.